State to gain from education blueprint – Fatimah

1

WELL DONE: Course participant Till Udat showing his certificate after receiving it from Fatimah (right). Looking on is Sarawak Welfare Department director Noriah Ahmad. Photo by Jeffrey Mostapha.

KUCHING: Sarawak stands to benefit because the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 will address inequity in access to education.

Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said it would help reduce the inequity gap between states, urban and rural areas, and between ethnic groups.

She said rural schools have the most significant urban/rural gap when it comes to facilities.

“Most of our schools are still using gen sets. This needs to be changed into something more permanent. Gen sets can break down after some time, and when this happens, it will disrupt the programme.”

This was one of more obvious signs that Sarawakian schools lagged behind schools in Peninsular Malaysia.

Fatimah said the state was looking into aspects that affect them.

“I’m also looking at education for special needs children. We need to make sure they also have access to education like anybody else.”

She said they were given one month to study the report before it is reviewed and tabled by the cabinet. The blueprint is expected to go into effect from 2013 to 2025.

“The execution will be done in stages – three years for the first stage, then five years, and another five years,” she said, adding that there are various goals to be achieved within the phases.

“We want our students to be knowledgeable and possess higher order thinking. We are found to be weak in this area during the evaluation. Higher order thinking – to be able to think critically and make analysis – are skills very much needed to give us a competitive edge.”

She was speaking to reporters after closing the Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship Course at Penview Hotel here yesterday.

The course was attended by 39 participants comprising single mothers and special needs individuals (OKU) who wanted to sharpen their business sense to break out of the poverty cycle.